The Brief Life of Ordinary Seaman John Reeks
John Reeks was born on 31 October, 1891, in Woonona, New South Wales, Australia to George Reeks and Maria Salisbury. John was the younger brother of my great grandmother, Emma Sarah Reeks.
At just 16 years old, John enlisted in the Royal Navy on 24 September, 1908. He joined as an Ordinary Seaman aboard HMS Pyramus, registering under the service number 1089 for a period of 5 years. Interestingly, he listed his birth date as 21 October, 1889—making himself appear two years older than he actually was.
At the time of enlistment, John was described as standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown hair, grey eyes, and a dark complexion. He had no noted wounds or scars, and his civilian occupation was recorded as a bricklayer. John's parents, George and Maria Reeks, gave their consent for his enlistment.
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| Form of Engagement in the Royal Navy for John Reeks pages 1 and 4 |
John also declared that he had served with the St George English Rifle Regiment. John Cash Neild, the Member for Paddington in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, raised the St George’s Rifles in 1896. This was the nucleus of what became, in 1897, the 7th Volunteer Infantry Regiment (St. George’s Rifles), and in 1903, the 7th New South Wales Infantry Regiment (St. George's Rifles), and later that year the St George’s English Rifles Regiment.
It is likely that John would have served with the Bulli Company.
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| St George English Rifle Regiment, Bulli Company c1910 [Wollongong City Libraries] |
Tragically, John's naval career and young life were cut short. He passed away in Sydney on 22 May, 1909, just eight months after enlisting. He was laid to rest at Rookwood Necropolis in the Old Church of England section (Section 4, Row 1). His headstone reads:
John Reeks
Ordinary Seaman. H.M.S. "Pyramus"
Died 22nd May 1909
Aged 19 years
Peace Perfect Peace
Erected by the Ship's Company as a token of their esteem.
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| John Reeks Headstone - Rookwood Cemetery [Chris Pigott - FindaGrave] |
How sad. It was a common practice to change your age, my grandfather did the same. His poor mother must have agonised over signing the document but given the country wasn't at war in 1909 she probably thought he would be OK. Lovely to honour his short life.
ReplyDeleteThanks Veronica, yes many did and it would seem John had a keen interest in the military given his involvement in the St George English Rifle Regiment. As a volunteer service I notice that they didn't appear to have an age limit and there are quite a few younger boys in the photo of the Bulli Company.
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